I just returned yesterday from Malaysia and the launch of the Malaysian Student Technology Leaders (MYSTL) Twenty five years ago I provided the first ed tech training to a group of Malaysian teachers while working at the National University of Malaysia. I have kept up with friends and developments in this progressive nation of 30 million people. For the past few months Generation YES has worked with Ministry of Education officials to launch MYSTL. MYSTL is based on both the GenYES and TechYES models where a group of students are provided the training and resources to ensure their teachers integrate technology and their peers are technology literate.
Last week’s formal launch and training teachers and students in three pilot secondary schools was a precursor for an additional 96 schools starting next January and another 300 schools scheduled to follow in January of 2011. Malaysia realizes that to succeed in the future and survive these tough economic times, students must be able to truly use today’s and tomorrow’s technology to think, create, and change.
Working with these Malaysian high school students again confirmed to me that students throughout the world have the same capacity to use their energy and proclivity with technology to redefine our future for the better. Three U.S. based Generation YES schools will act as sister schools to the three Malaysian pilots.
There are some signs that the U.S will begin taking educational technology seriously with new allocations in the federal EETT program (Title IID). However, the U.S. has a long way to go to match the commitment I see in many other nations.
Dennis Harper
